Recently crowned 2021 French champion, Léa Godallier looks back on this long year which is coming to an end.

Unbeaten in France since 2019!

Padel Magazine : The season in France ends with a new victory in P2000, which follows your first title of Champion of France. Not a single set lost, can we talk about a perfect year on a national level?

Lea Godallier: I don't know if we can use the word “perfect” because I think we can always do better. But it is true that in some matches we showed a very good level of play with Alix, especially the P2000 final in Toulouse. This allowed us to finish on a very good note before 2022!

Padel Magazine : Your last defeat in France dates back to 2019… Isn't it sometimes difficult to motivate you for these French tournaments?

Lea Godallier: It is not difficult to find motivation because I like to come back to France. These are the weekends that allow me to cut a little bit with the international circuit, to see my friends, to meet people who follow us and for this weekend in Toulouse, allow my family to come and see me play. This is what allows me to keep a certain balance.

“Progress again and again”

Padel Magazine : You played very well on the left even though it's a side you don't practice. You are tall, powerful, you move very well, you are not sometimes tempted to go left on the World Padel Tour ?

Lea Godallier: I think about it sometimes but I would have to train a lot to play on the left on the World Padel Tour. In the tournaments that I played in France, I felt better and better, with more and more confidence. I think about it because I try to be a more aggressive right-wing player, but I find that much more innate in playing on the left…

Padel Magazine : Speaking of WPT, with Ariadna Cañellas you always stumble in the round of XNUMX, a bit like Castello and Collombon before their first quarter in Cordoba. What needs to be done to get closer to these pairs?

Lea Godallier: We often start games well when we reach the eighth, we have to maintain this level of play longer, much longer. Consistency is the key. What I'm going to say is a bit tricky but I'm going to work hard to achieve my goals, there is no other way.

 

Padel Magazine : The season has been very long between World Padel Tour, Fip Tour, FFT circuit and international competitions. Concretely, does that leave time to be able to improve in training? 

Lea Godallier: It is true that the season is very long this year. There were times when I only came home for 2 days before leaving for the next tournament. At the party level padel, my pre-season started later than expected due to an injury and the fact that I moved. So I tried to change a few technical things but I think it's something that takes time. I can't wait to do a whole pretemporada and progress over and over again.

At the physical level, we talk more then about maintenance and prevention of injuries. I have a little routine that I like to keep in these “rush” moments. And when I have more than a week we can put more things in place!

Towards a medal at the Worlds?

Padel Magazine : Let's talk a bit about Tahiti, your native land. We see that there is padel in more and more islands. Do you think there will be soon in Polynesia? Would you like to get involved in it?

Lea Godallier: I actually think that there will soon be land in Tahiti and I would obviously be delighted to be able to get involved in a development project of padel at the level of Polynesia. It would allow me to return to my island more often and to see more of my Polynesian family who support me from afar. So yes I hope there will be some padel in French Polynesia!

Padel Magazine : In a few weeks you will be doing your 6th campaign with the France team during the Worlds. The selection has been somewhat rejuvenated, do you think you can bring home a medal from Qatar?

Lea Godallier: We all agree that Spain and Argentina are stronger. Behind I think anything is possible, we will have to show a very good level of play with the knife between our teeth.
Italy seems favorite for a medal but I think we have a great group with players who are training and who have shown great things in France and who are very motivated to progress. We all get along very well. This is something important when we know that we will live almost ten days together 24 hours a day!

Team Padel May

Team Padel Magazine tries to offer you since 2013 the best of padel, but also surveys, analyzes to try to understand the world of padel. From the game to the politics of our sport, Padel Magazine is at your service.

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